19 Anerley Park
London SE
Sunday 29 September 1889
My dear Chris
Your letters of 27 July and 3 August cane last week. I write today in reply in case I may not have time later in the week.
The dockers strike had put the usual departures back so much. Now that our time has come we must go at it night and day to get ready. We mean to sail on the 7th or 8th at latest. The ship is almost full of passengers and will make a good freight out.
I have given the ship a good refit and put her through her half time continuation survey most satisfactorily – this at the expense in a great measure of the under- writers. The first time in my thirty years of command I have ever made a claim. She is now in a condition to make several more voyages at small expense for outfit after this year.
Your letters have come rather late for me to do much towards getting you a partner here, but I fancy this could be better done at Melbourne. However, I am doing what I can here by enquiries and advertising. A young man from here would take some time to become acquainted with your business and get climatised. I fancy that a good wet season would not only get you well up in plenty of profitable work but would enable you to get a partner on the spot, that you knew and could trust.
What about Crawford? – and Alec in another year or so would be getting about ripe, although I can see he has much to learn before he could take your place.
I have missed meeting Brandon twice but hope to meet him and Cave this week at Rawson’s. I don’t know if I should speak to either of them about your wishes in this matter but will think it over before we meet, as the Croydon Queen No 2 promises well. It must be worth holding my interest until your railway and rainy season, with suitable machinery to break the stone on the spot, bring the development of what is no doubt a sick claim.
The result of the 9 tons ex “Miskara” is a good token if the other lots now on the way give an equally good result. Brandon may be able to float a company, at present the only dealings in mining are some new companies lately floated in the Transvaal and adjoining native states under British protection under the heading of land purchases with the object of mining eventually. The Stock Exchange has been very inactive for some time and money has suddenly got dearer, making settlements difficult for many.
Of course I should like to see you at home next summer and hope that you will somehow manage to come. I will see Dawes about passage and let you know before I leave I should name a return within eight months. If you come it will be with a good balance at your bankers I hope and in a position to float a company of the Queen claims and put a decent sum of money in my pocket. I want it.
So a final word about a partner – if you can by any means do without one excepting a brother, do so. The chances are if you left a partner in charge while in England you would return to find your business ruined, either by mismanagement or dishonesty. I have heard stories of shipwrecks of this kind from a good many other men of the early days of both Sydney and Melbourne and then if he is straightforward and honest he may be disagreeable in temper and difficult to get on with.
I had the only severe illness in my lifetime in my 28 years and on recovering was stronger and better than I had been before. I hope this may be your case.
Edie is here with us just now. She returns to France in ten days time. She is well but looks thin. She has not acquired the least knowledge of the French language although travelling and living around the people. She is happy and comfortable with Mr Dalton who seems to treat her as a daughter almost.
You promised once to send her and May a present. Do it when you can spare a few pounds.
Archie is well and gets on with his duties satisfactorily.
I shall not close this letter until I have seen Mr Cave.
4 October
I have failed to meet either Cave or Brandon, although we both have made several attempts to meet. I asked them to come and lunch on board yesterday but they could not and I was unable to accept an invitation of theirs to meet at the Westend.
I have entrusted Mr Watt an old employee of Devitt & Moore and a most trusty, excellent fellow, who is now in a good business of his own and works at same time for D & M with the job of finding a suitable partner for you. He is just the man to do it, and you may rely on his doing it well. I wish to put you in communication with him on this and other matters which may be of importance to you. I will see him tomorrow before posting this and state the result of our interviews, and give you his address. Meantime he will write to you soon after this.
You must meantime hold on to Croydon until it comes to the front. Its great drawback at present is its distance.
I have been very busy getting the ship ready for the voyage having to effect a great many repairs and alterations as well as carrying through a special survey by Lloyds, which has now been completed satisfactorily. Our work was retarded by the difficulty of getting labour.
We are all well, and all write in loving messages
Ever your affectionate Father
Jas A Elmslie
Mr C T Elmslie
Croydon
North Queensland